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November 12, 2009

O'Non loses appeal, but is out of prison

Woman was convicted of lying during her son's murder trial

BY ART BUKOWSKI

TRAVERSE CITY -- An appeals court upheld the conviction of a Leelanau County woman who lied during her son's murder trial.

Faye "Robyn" O'Non, 55, was convicted in 2006 of perjury in a capital case and witness tampering. The Michigan Court of Appeals in a ruling released this week upheld the conviction, though O'Non is now out on parole after serving three years in prison.

Robyn O'Non's son, Matthew O'Non, 26, was convicted in March 2005 of two counts of first-degree murder and is serving life in prison without parole.

Authorities said a dispute over 57 pounds of marijuana led Matthew O'Non to shoot Texas residents Raul Ramirez, 58, and Manuel Longoria, 36, with an assault rifle. Their bodies were found May 17, 2004, in a shallow grave near a Leelanau County cottage owned by O'Non's family.

Robyn O'Non alleged on appeal that testimony from Matthew O'Non's trial was improperly admitted in her trial, but the appeals court disagreed.

Prosecutors said Robyn O'Non, who was fired from her job as a corrections officer with the Grand Traverse Sheriff's Department not long after her son was convicted, conspired with her husband to create a self-defense theory for Matthew O'Non.

She told police she found and discarded a pistol bullet casing from a gun used by the Texans against Matthew O'Non, evidence that supported her son's self-defense claim. Others testified in trial that the victims didn't have weapons, and prosecutors said the bullet story was a lie.

Nicholas O'Non, Robyn O'Non's husband, also faced a host of obstruction-related charges. He pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and was sentenced to six months in jail.

Robyn O'Non was released from prison in September and couldn't be reached for comment. Attorney Douglas Gutscher, who represented her in trial, hadn't seen the appeals court ruling, but said there were a "number of issues" that raised grounds for appeal.

Doug Donaldson, chief assistant Leelanau County Prosecutor, was glad to hear of the ruling.

"I'm pleased that there is some

closure," he said. "It was a tragic case all the way around."

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